Gp Capt Kapil Bhargava (1928-2014)

Gp Capt Kapil Bhargava needs no introduction within the world of test flying. He was a predominant writer, reknowned test pilot and promoter of the Indian aerospace industry.

Commissioned in October 1950 into the Indian ’53rd Pilots Course’, he flew Spitfires and Vampires before attending the Empire Test Pilots School in the UK to graduate as one of India’s pioneering test pilots.

In his test flying career with the Indian Air Force, besides production test flying, He flew the first flights of the HAL Pushpak, the HS-748 ‘Avro’ and the Messerschmitt HA 300 Fighter designed by Egypt. The first flight of the HS-748 earned him one of the first Vayusena Medals awarded to the IAF – in 1962.

He was also the first commandant of ASTE (then A&ATU) and served as the Station Commander of Jodhpur. After his career in the Air Force, he was with the Flight Safety Directorate of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in Bangalore before retirement.